National Grid To Seek New Rate Increase

NARRAGANSETT, RI — National Grid is asking the Public Utilities Commission to sanction a new rate increase. The price hike would hit the customers' bills in September 2018. For residential customers it would mean five percent more for gas and six percent more for electric.

Commercial and industrial customers would see increases from three to nine percent for electricity and from one to six percent for gas.

But low income households would actually see lower bills, the company said.

"An income-eligible customer using the average 500 kWh/month on the electric side would see a decrease in their bill of 3 percent. On the gas side, an income-eligible heating customer using an average of 845 therms/year would see a 6 percent decrease on their bill."

National Grid said this increase is the first it has proposed since 2012 for distribution. That's separate on the bill from the actual energy cost. The PUC approved that increase of 53 percent earlier.

Today's news was met with a swift rebuke from Gov. Gina Raimondo.

"Just a month ago, tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders lost power and it took National Grid nearly a week to get the lights back on," she said in a statement Monday. "Now, they are asking the state to approve a 15 percent rate increase. Rhode Island families and small business owners — especially manufacturing businesses — are already challenged by high energy costs. The Public Utility Commission needs to open up National Grid's books and stand up for Rhode Island ratepayers."